Watchmaker&#39;s poising tool



Nov. 25, 1952 A. w. KENNEDY 2,618,967

WATCHMAKER S POISING lTOOL Filed Nov. 19, 1948 Patented Nov. 25, 1952UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,618,967 WATCHMAKERS POISING TOOL Arthur W.Kennedy, Corvallis, Oreg.

Application November 19, 1948, Serial No.,60,857

I s Claims. (ci. 7 3-66) My invention relates to watchmakersl tools, andmore particularly to tools for poising the balance wheels of watches. Inthe poising of balance Wheels, it is of the utmost importance that anabsolutely horizontal support for Ithe opposite ends of the balancestaff be provided. Moreover, it is important to provide a substantiallyfriction-free support for the opposite ends of the balance staff.

With the foregoing in View, lit is an object of my invention to providean improved watchmakers poisingtool.

A further object is to provide an improved watchmakers poising toolwhich includes a selfleveling base for the supports for the `balancestaff.

A further object is to provide an improved watchmakers poisingtoolrwhich includes adjustably-spaced, knife-edgesupports for opposite.ends of a balance staff, and self-leveling means for maintaining thebaseand supports level at all times.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of theinvention, combination and arrangement of the several'parts thereof, andwill be readily understood by those lskilled in the art upon referenceto the attached drawing in connection with thefollowing Vspecification,wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan View .of the invention, the cover for the same beingremoved;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially onthe plane of the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially onthe plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1, the cover for thedevice beingshown in place;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken substantially onthe plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 1, but showing the cover in place;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken substantially onthe plane ofthe line 5--5-of Figure l.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference charactershave been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, I0designates generally a weighted base which is of substantiallyhemispherical form and includes a flat upper surface Il. A transversegroove I2 is formed in the upper surface Il diametrically thereof.Opposite ends of the groove I2 are laterally enlarged, as at I3, for apurpose to be aparent later. The open ends of the enlargements I3 areclosed by plugs I4`which are secured in position and to thel base I0 byany suitable means. The groove I2 includes opposed side walls, each ofwhich isfformed with a longitudinally-extending guideway or recess I5.The plugs I4 are formed with aligned bores providing journals for thespindle ends I6 of a threaded screw or shaft I'I. One-half of the shaftII is formed with left-hand screw-threads I8, while the opposite halfVis formed with right-hand screw-threads I9. The shaft I'I has xedthereonoutwardly of the threaded portions I8 and `IS a pair of hand wheels 20.Thrust washers 2| are preferably mounted on the shaft I'I between thehand wheels 20 and the plugs I4. A pair of slides 22 in the form of nutsare threaded on the shaft portions I3 and I9, whereby to travel inopposite directions upon rotationof the shaft I'I in a well knownmanner. It should be noted, likewise, that the slides 22 arecomplementary to the groove I2 including the recessed guides I5, wherebyto ensure steady sliding movement of the slides upon rotation of thescrew Il. Each slide 22 has fixed thereto an upwardly-directed support23 which extends upwardly of the top surface II for the base. Suchsupports 23 include free top edges and opposed facing surfaces. A pairof knife edges 24 are carried by the supports 23 in inset relation tothe free upper edges and facing surfaces thereof. The purpose of thisarrangement is to protect the knife edges 24 which are preferably formedof semi-precious jewel material against breakage 'in the event that thesupports 23 are moved into abutting relation, or in the event that thetool is dropped. The knife edges 24 are in horizontal alignment and areadapted to provide the actual supports for opposite ends of a balancestaff. By adjusting the supports 23 toward and away from each other,balance staffs of different lengths or sizes may be readily accommodatedby the tool.

The mount for the tool comprises a case or casing 30 which includes aflatbottom 3| for resting upon a watchmakers-bench or like support. Aring 32 is inset in the upper free edges of the'case 3l) andV securedthereto in any suitable manner, as by the screws or nails 33. A pair ofdiametrically-opposed pin-tles 34 are xed to the ring 32 and extendradially inwardly thereof to provide bearings to define a horizontalaxis for a second ring 35. The ring 35 likewise includes a pair ofdiametrically-opposed and radially inwardly-extending pintles 36 deninga second horizontal axis. As best seen in Figure l, the

pintles 34 and 36 are offset 90 relative to each other, whereby toprovide a universal mount or gimbel for supporting the base l0. Toachieve such universal mounting, the pintles 34 are journaled in thering 35, while the pintles 36 are journaled in the base I0. Obviously,the pintles 34 and 36 are disposed above the center of gravity of thebase l0, whereby the base I is selfleveling by gravity. Thus, the knifeedges 24 are disposed horizontally at all times, whereby to provide alevel support for the opposite ends of the balance staff, irrespectiveof whether or not the watchmakers bench upon which the ilat bottom 3l ofthe case 30 rests is level.

The upper edges of the case 30 outwardly of the ring 32 are rabbeted, asat 31, to provide a seat for a cover 38 which is preferably formed oftransparent material. At times, it is desirable to lock the partsagainst relative pivotal movement and to achieve this desirable result,alignable recesses 39 are formed in the base I0, rings 32 and 35, thecase 30, and the cover 38. A locking pin 40 is adapted to be inserted inthe aligned apertures to lock the parts against relative pivotalmovement and also to lock the cover 38 in position on the case 30. Thepin 40 may be provided with an enlarged head 4l providing a finger grip.

It is apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a novelcombination of a watchmakers poising tool with a case for the same and aselfleveling mount.

In use, with the case 30 resting on a watchmakers bench or the like, themount or case 30 is gripped by one hand, while the watchmakermanipulates the balance staff or other part being tested with the otherhand. To facilitate such manipulation, by the watchmaker, the peripheryof the case 30 is provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves42 providing a hand grip. Y

While I have shown and described what is now thought to bea preferredembodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same issusceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, I do not limitmyself to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove exceptas hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A watchmakers poising tool, comprising a weighted base, said basebeing a substantially hemispherical weight including a flat uppersurface formed with a groove extending diametrically thereof, saidgroove including opposed side walls formed with opposed recessedguideways extending longitudinally of said side walls, slidescomplementary to said groove and recesses and slidably guided therein,means cooperating with said base and said slides for moving said slidestoward and away from each other, a support fixed to each slide andextending upwardly of said upper surface of said base, said supportsincluding free upper edges and opposed facing surfaces, a knife edgecarried by each support in inset relation to said upper edge and facingsur- 6 face, said knife edges being horizontally aligned and adapted tosupport opposite ends of a balance `acispe'rl staff thereon, a mount forsaid base, and means mounting said base on said mount above the centerof gravity of said base for universal pivoting movement relative to saidmount whereby to provide a self-leveling base.

2. A watchmakers poising tool comprising a mount adapted to bepositioned on a supporting surface, a base mounted in said mount formovement about a horizontal axis transverse thereof and for movementabout a horizontal axis transverse of said first named axis, said baseincluding a flat upper surface, there being a groove extendingcompletely across the upper surface of said base, a pair of slidesarranged in side by side spaced relation with respect to each othersupported within the groove of said base and guided thereby, meanscooperating with said base and said slides for moving said slides towardand away from each other, an upstanding support carried by each of saidslides, said supports fac- Y ing each other, and a knife edge carried byeach support in the facing surface, said knife edges being horizontallyaligned and adapted to support therebetween an element to be balanced.

3. A watchmakers poising tool comprising a mount adapted to bepositioned on a supporting surface, a base mounted in said mount formovement about a horizontal axis transverse thereof and for movementabout a horizontal axis transverse of said first named axis, said baseincluding a at upper surface, there being a groove extending completelyacross the upper surface of said base, a pair of slides arranged in sideby side spaced relation with respect to each other supported within thegroove of said base and guided thereby and movable toward and away fromeach other, a rotatable screw carried by said base and having portionsprovided with oppositely directed threads, one of the portions of saidscrew being in threaded engagement with one of said slides and the otherof the portions of said screw being in threaded engagement with theother of said slides, an upstanding support carried by each of saidslides, said supports facing each other, a knife edge on the facingsurface of each support, said knife edges being horizontally aligned andadapted to support therebetween an element to be balanced, and handactuable means projecting from the upper surface of said base andoperatively connected to each of the threaded portions of said screw foreffecting the rotative movement of the latter to thereby move saidslides toward and away from each other.

ARTHUR W. KENNEDY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 164,240 Wertheim June 8, 1875251,439 Hetherington Dec. 27, 1881 529,178 Landraf Nov. 13, 1894 915,872Missman Mar. 23, 1909 2,517,830 Berlincourt 'Aug. 8, 1950

